'Restaurant Review'

Wallet nearly empty after a shopping excursion in Cambridge? Looking for a quick, inexpensive, and tasty bite to eat? Then check out Sabra Grill at Harvard Square!

Don’t let its small size fool you. Owned by a friendly husband-and-wife team, Sabra Grill has fresh, fast, and delicious Middle Eastern fare. The restaurant prides itself on “using only the very finest all natural ingredients to ensure 100% consistency for our customers while the freshness of each dish is guaranteed by made-to-order hand-cut preparation.” They also offer catering services to the local community.

Their hummus and falafel sandwich comes in a large wrap with tomatoes and lettuce. It is certainly filling on its own, but they also offer rice pilaf and spinach rollups as side dishes for those who desire more. Their zesty carrot juice is also refreshing and delicious – it is the perfect accompaniment to the falafel sandwich. My meal cost around $8, and it was definitely worth the price for a satisfying lunch!

Other healthy offerings at Sabra Grill include homus (hummus), tabouli, and baba ghanoush sandwiches. They also have lentil soup, salads, grape leaves, and shish kebab plates. You are bound to find something nutritious and delicious here!

This pre-historic Mexican cuisine restaurant is located at the Powderhouse Rotary, within walking distance from the Tufts campus. It is a great restaurant if you want to celebrate a special occasion. The staff is very friendly and the menu is composed of family recipes spanning over 100 years (100% Mexican). The small yet beautifully decorated location provides an inviting, comfortable and quaint atmosphere. The entrees are around $12-18; the unique menu and atmosphere offered certainly make the price worth it.

Unique menu options include: plantain turnovers with cheese, tacos stuffed with grasshoppers (see picture; if they are in season and you are feeling adventurous), tamales (made with chicken, corn, coconut, fish, pork and even vegetarian ones with an assortment of vegetables). The mole sauces on the chicken Mole Colorado Tlaxcalteca dish and vegetarian green moleNopales dish are complex, sensational and definitely worth trying. (If you’re interested in learning more about grasshoppers and other insects as a protein source, refer to the New Yorker article, “Grub: Eating Insects to Save the Planet”.)

There is a variety of vegetarian options such as chopped chayote squash in pipian (a squash-like vegetable) made of pumpkin seeds, peanuts, cilantro, herbs and guajillo peppers. Other healthy vegetarian dishes include the spinach and potatoes in garlic butter and the cactus paddles in tomatillo sauce (delicious!). Plus, make sure to try their fresh lemonade and Hibiscus water that are particularly delightful.

You won’t find these authentic Mexican dishes with cactus paddles, cilantro dressing, grasshoppers and frog legs at other Mexican restaurants, so make sure you give it a try!